Rich's Ex-Wife, Clinton Library Mum on Donation

Feb. 9 -- The growing controversy over President Clinton's last-minute pardon offugitive financier Marc Rich intensified Thursday, as Rich's ex-wife acknowledged making an "enormous" donation to the Clinton presidential library but refused to specify the size of the donation or when it was made.

The Clinton library is also refusing to disclose the nature of the donation as well.

The existence of the donation was made public during a hearing of theHouse Committee on Government Reform, which was examining thecircumstances surrounding the pardon granted on Clinton's final day inoffice.

In response to written questions from the committee, an attorney for Denise Rich, Marc Rich's ex-wife, indicated Ms. Rich had given an "enormous sum of money" to Clinton's Little Rocklibrary, committee chairman Dan Burton, R-Ind., said at the hearing.

Denise Rich's attorney, Carol Bruce, also announced in a letter Thursday Ms. Rich would be asserting her Fifth Amendment privilege againstself-incrimination and so would not be answering the committee'squestions. Two days earlier, the committee had submitted to Ms. Rich alist of 14 written questions. Among the questions were how much moneyshe had pledged to the Clinton library and whether Ms. Rich was everprovided money or promised reimbursement by another individual to makeher political donations.

Another lawyer representing Ms. Rich declined Thursday to discuss withABCNEWS.com the nature of her contribution. She did, though,release an additional statement saying Ms. Rich had been "generous" inher contributions to presidential library and the Democratic Party.

The Clinton Presidential Library and Foundation also has refused todiscuss contributions. Its senior executive, Skip Rutherford, Clinton's1992 campaign fund-raiser, declined an ABCNEWS.com request to discloseinformation about contributors and noted the information is not requiredto be made public since the library has 501(c)3 tax-exempt status.

Burton said he would seek a grant of immunity from the Justice Department — a move that would allow the committee to compel Ms. Rich totestify.